12.10 Desktop Crashes, is there a solution

Will provide additional information if requested.

Your best bet is to use the radeon open source drivers with your card(don't install flgrx drivers).

Which particular card do you have?

Are you running 64 bit or 32 but 12.10?
Can you give the output of

uname - r; lspci - nnk | grep vga -iA2

Thanks

The video is motherboard chip, and it is AMD 64 bit.
The motherboard is a Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
GA-MA785GMT-UD2H/GA-MA785GMT-UD2H, BIOS F5 11/30/2009

kenr@Aspen:/var/log$ uname -r
3.5.0-25-generic

kenr@Aspen:/var/log$ lspci -nnk | grep vga -iA2
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee
ATI RS880 [Radeon HD 4200] [1002:9710]
        Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:d000]
        Kernel driver in use: radeon

Happy to provide anything additional you may need.
System has been unusable since the upgrade on 3-01-2013.
Regards,
Ken
--
*Ken Rawlings* <http://goog_616954787/>
2901 S Lafayette Drive
Englewood, CO 80113
<email address hidden> <http://goog_616954787/>
303-478-5384
*KV5Y
*

Could you back up your data (home folder etc, in case you will need to reinstall your os) first and then proceed with steps below.

Just to confirm, is the hd 4200 integrated the only gpu present in your system?
From which version of ubuntu did you upgrade from?

 can you provide the output of

Xorg -version

If the system is connected to the internet can you press ctrl+alt+f1 to take you to a virtual console and type in:

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

This will install gnome classic dekstop environment, can you try that and see whether that works?
Thanks

The integrated gpu is the only one on this system.
I upgraded from 12.04.LTS.
=================================================
kenr@Aspen:~$ Xorg -version

X.Org X Server 1.12.4
Release Date: 2012-08-27
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-32-xen x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux Aspen 3.5.0-25-generic #39-Ubuntu SMP Mon
Feb 25 18:26:58 UTC 2013 x86_64
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-25-generic
root=UUID=f7183cc2-e5a0-4993-980f-3b0b89041759 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
Build Date: 05 November 2012 10:00:21AM
xorg-server 3:1.12.4+git20121105-makson1~ppa2 (For technical support please
see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
Current version of pixman: 0.26.0
        Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
        to make sure that you have the latest version.
==================================================

Okay I just downloaded and installed the gnome-session-fallback, then
rebooted.

The same screen lockup symptoms are still present.

Not sure this is helpful, but here goes:

- Following the reboot the color splash with the login box appears.
- Following login prompt, the desktop appears
- When I move the mouse to click the Terminal Icon for instance the word
"Terminal" appears next to the Icon and when I click the Icon
   the Terminal window appears without a (username@systemname) prompt, just
a small filled in square where the prompt should be located.
- The Terminal window is locked, you cannot type, and none of the other
items on the desktop are accessable. However; the mouse is still active in
that it can be moved around the desktop and you can try and click on items
but no response. This lockup last for a around 1 minute.
- Then suddenly the desktop disappears, then reappears with the Terminal
window somewhat offset to the left and the (username@systemname) partially
hidden under the vertical column of Icons. Now the Terminal is usable as
in a normal with for a few commands, then locks up again.
- What I find interesting is that a few keystrokes are captured, will
execute and will display following the lockup, screen blank and refresh.

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 2:35 AM, Anton Kanishchev <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #223581 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Anton Kanishchev proposed the following answer:
> Could you back up your data (home folder etc, in case you will need to
> reinstall your os) first and then proceed with steps below.
>
> Just to confirm, is the hd 4200 integrated the only gpu present in your
> system?
> >From which version of ubuntu did you upgrade from?
>
> can you provide the output of
>
> Xorg -version
>
>
> If the system is connected to the internet can you press ctrl+alt+f1 to
> take you to a virtual console and type in:
>
> sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
>
> This will install gnome classic dekstop environment, can you try that and
> see whether that works?
> Thanks
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

--
*Ken Rawlings* <http://goog_616954787/>
2901 S Lafayette Drive
Englewood, CO 80113
<email address hidden> <http://goog_616954787/>
303-478-5384
*KV5Y
*

I have now made a copy of my /home directory on the second disk on the
system and removed the entries in mtab and fstab for the device and
rebooted.

How do I initiate the online re-install of 12.10?

Question:
When I try to run sudo apport-collect 1143327
and enter S after the final prompt to send the files I get the following
error message and never see the uploaded info attached to the bug report.

PythonArgs: ['/usr/bin/apport-collect', '1143327']
Traceback:
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/bin/apport-cli", line 366, in <module>
     if not app.run_argv():
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/ui.py", line 639, in
run_argv
     return self.run_update_report()
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/ui.py", line 559, in
run_update_report
     attachment_comment='apport information')
   File
"/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/crashdb_impl/launchpad.py", line
358, in update
     report.write_mime(mime, skip_keys=skip_keys)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/problem_report.py", line 504, in
write_mime
     attach_value = CompressedValue(v, k).gzipvalue
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/problem_report.py", line 44, in
__init__
     self.set_value(value)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/problem_report.py", line 50, in
set_value
     gzip.GzipFile(self.name, mode='wb', fileobj=out).write(value)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/gzip.py", line 131, in __init__
     self._write_gzip_header()
   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/gzip.py", line 176, in _write_gzip_header
     self.fileobj.write(fname + '\000')
 TypeError: 'unicode' does not have the buffer interface
UserGroups:

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 2:35 AM, Anton Kanishchev <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #223581 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Anton Kanishchev proposed the following answer:
> Could you back up your data (home folder etc, in case you will need to
> reinstall your os) first and then proceed with steps below.
>
> Just to confirm, is the hd 4200 integrated the only gpu present in your
> system?
> >From which version of ubuntu did you upgrade from?
>
> can you provide the output of
>
> Xorg -version
>
>
> If the system is connected to the internet can you press ctrl+alt+f1 to
> take you to a virtual console and type in:
>
> sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
>
> This will install gnome classic dekstop environment, can you try that and
> see whether that works?
> Thanks
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

--
*Ken Rawlings* <http://goog_616954787/>
2901 S Lafayette Drive
Englewood, CO 80113
<email address hidden> <http://goog_616954787/>
303-478-5384
*KV5Y
*

Re Xorg version-- The radeon 4X series is problematic only with xorg 1.13, and it should not, in theory cause issues with x1.12.

Are you able to download an iso from the web and burn it to disk? this is probably the easiest way to get 12.10(or 12.04 if you choose)

RE "How do I initiate the online re-install of 12.10?"--- not sure about this one, it is probably easiest to download the image and check the md5sum.

I built this AMD system in early 2010 and loaded it from CDROM with Ubuntu
and have been upgrading it as new releases become available.
Never in the past have I had any issues until now with the upgrade to 12.10.

I can download and burn on a windows XP system, I think that should work
with Ubuntu.
I have done this for Sun Solaris systems before.

If I could totally go back to 12.04, I would and be a very quiet happy
camper.
So point me where I need to go and what modules I need to grab and I will
give it a try..

Ken

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 2:36 PM, Anton Kanishchev <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #223581 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Anton Kanishchev proposed the following answer:
> Re Xorg version-- The radeon 4X series is problematic only with xorg
> 1.13, and it should not, in theory cause issues with x1.12.
>
> Are you able to download an iso from the web and burn it to disk? this
> is probably the easiest way to get 12.10(or 12.04 if you choose)
>
>
> RE "How do I initiate the online re-install of 12.10?"--- not sure about
> this one, it is probably easiest to download the image and check the md5sum.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/223581
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

--
*Ken Rawlings* <http://goog_616954787/>
2901 S Lafayette Drive
Englewood, CO 80113
<email address hidden> <http://goog_616954787/>
303-478-5384
*KV5Y
*

Hi Ken ,
the problem is known. AMD series 2xxx-4xxx not work in 12.10 on closed source (AMD) drivers. The reason is because AMD/ATI dropped the support for such graphics cards in Linux.

Tomasz Makarewicz (makson96) has made a remarkable effort to workaround this problem. Unfortunately this is not work for all card models. (but lot of them work).

My suggestion is to "stick" in Ubuntu 12.04.1 (NOT Ubuntu 12.04.2 because it uses the same Xorg version as 12.10).

Ubuntu 12.04.1 can be found here
http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/12.04.1/

It is an LTS version and will be supported until April 2017.
It is exactly the same as 12.04.2 , BUT the main difference here is that Ubuntu 12.04.1 has not the Xorg 1.13 and Kernel 3.5.
So I assume you will not have any problem. At least you will have a supported Ubuntu version for the next 4 years.

Even if you run

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

the Xorg and the Kernel will not change series. You will have the latest 3.2 kernel and an Xorg smallest part than 1.13

Regards
 NikTh